


I care. And stuff like that.

by broadway_hufflepuff



Series: friends & flowers [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Abusive Neil Hargrove, Child Abuse, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Friendship, Gen, Maxine "Max" Mayfield & Mike Wheeler Friendship, Mike Wheeler is a good friend, Minor Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Post Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 08:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21115406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broadway_hufflepuff/pseuds/broadway_hufflepuff
Summary: Will sucks in a breath. "I'll just tell him," he mutters to Eleven. "It's- we... we got a call from Max tonight."Mike groans. "And this is important to me... why?""You need to go to her house. Right now," Eleven sounds anxious. "I know you two don't always get along but if you even care about her a little- she's in trouble, Mike. I'm worried."





	I care. And stuff like that.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this took a long time to write, considering it's lack of excellence. Yes, this is another Max and Mike friendship fic. If y'all would just write them for me maybe I'd consider writing other bffs...  
This is dedicated to one of my closest friends (who will probably never read this) because he always says "and stuff like that" and it gives me Mike energy.  
I hate Neil Hargrove.  
Also, thanks to my parents for letting me stay up later to finish this.  
All characters belong to Netflix. Please don't repost.  
Enjoy!

When the phone rings late Monday night, Mike knows that it's one of two people:

A demogorgan, or Eleven.

His fingers are crossed for the latter.

Stumbling to the phone, he rubs his eyes. His mom was out with her friends from the pool- and heaven knows Ted would never hear the phone over his own snoring.

"Hello?" Mike's voice is still groggy, lazily slurring around the word like he was still rolling out of bed.

"Mike?"

Mike smiles, despite himself. "El! Hey, how are you? Is everything okay?"

There's a murmuring on the other end of the line. "Mike, it's- you need to get the Party, alright?" It's Will. He sounds nervous.

Mike's concern grows, and he knits his eyebrows together. "Will, what's going on? Is El okay?"

Will sighs. "She's fine, but-"

"Are _you _okay?"

"Yes. I'm okay, Mike," Will replies. "But listen. El's right here with me, okay? You need to get the Party. Right now."

Mike runs a hand through his messy hair. "It's almost midnight, Will, I-"

"Mike!" It's Eleven again. "Just get the boys."

"It's Christmas break, El, they're all out of town." 

Eleven and Will break into some sort of hushed fight. Something is _clearly_ wrong.

"What's wrong, Eleven?" Mike pleads. "You guys are making me nervous."

Will sucks in a breath. "I'll just tell him," he mutters to Eleven. "It's- we... we got a call from Max tonight."

Mike groans. "And this isimportant to me... _why?"_

"You need to go to her house. Right now," Eleven sounds anxious. "I know you two don't always get along but if you even care about her a little- she's in trouble, Mike. I'm worried."

Mike furrows his brow again. "What kind of trouble?"

"We don't know," says Will, "But she was adamant that she had nowhere else to call. She thought my mom could help her out... but Mom's not home, and-"

"Okay," Mike breathes. "Okay, uh... lemme grab my coat. I'll head over, I guess."

"Mike?" whispers Eleven.

"Yeah?"

"You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course, El."

She hesitates. "Promise?"

Mike smiles. "Promise."

* * *

He's on the road, biking (which he probably shouldn't be doing, considering the amount of ice on the road), but he was told to be quick, and this is the quickest possible way.

Max's house has a screened-in porch, and the light is flickering above the door. Mike tries to pretend it doesn't remind him of the demogorgan...

He drops his bike on Max's walkway, which is littered with cigarette butts, seemingly pressed deep in between the crevices on the gravel.

The door swings open before Mike even gets there. It's a man- Neil Hargrove, Max's stepdad. Mike remembers him from Billy's funeral.

"You're one of Max's friends," he notes. "She's not here."

Mike stares at him. "Uh... where is she?"

Neil glares at him. "Listen, kid, I appreciate you being there for Maxine and all that shit, but... she's not here, alright?" He runs a finger over his mustache. "Get off my lawn."

All of sudden, there's a whimper from the other side of the door. "Mike..."

Mike straightens. "What was that?"

Neil kicks something behind him. "Nothing. I spent all day doing that lawn and look, you're ruining it. Go home."

Mike marches up the steps. "You said Max wasn't home, Mr. Hargrove."

"I did. She isn't."

With a jolt, Mike lunges past Neil and swings open the door. Max is sitting on the ground, bruises littering her eyes. Mike sucks in a breath. 

Neil angrily slams Mike against the wall. "You don't tell anyone what you saw here today, Michael Wheeler, do you understand me?"

Mike doesn't answer. His eyes are on Max. 

_"Do you understand me?"_

"Yes, sir," Mike says hurriedly. "I understand." 

Neil lets go of Mike's collar. "Good. Now... get out."

Mike starts to turn around, but with a leap of faith, he remembers Eleven, Lucas, Will, Dustin, Nancy, _Max,_ everyone he cares about and he reels his arm back-

And punches Neil in the stomach as hard as he can.

Neil, in shock but not in pain, freezes for a moment. Mike scrambles over to Max. "Come on, Mayfield," he mutters. He lifts her to her feet and walks her to the door. 

Neil starts screaming at him, telling him NOT to bring her back, to NEVER show his face at the Hargrove residence again (as if Mike would let Max back in there. As if he'd let Neil get away with hurting Max like that.)

He jumps onto his bike. Max, embarrassed, climbs on behind him. "Mike, I'm so sorry you had to come get me-"

Mike winces. "God, Max... I know we have our differences but _hell._ You look like _hell, _Madmax."

"Sorry," she mumbles.

"Don't apologize," Mike says immediately. Because first of all, it's not Max's fault. And second of all... apologizing is not something Max usually does. He doesn’t like how withered she is- how drawn in on herself. "Hey, you're not going back there, alright?"

"Okay," says Max. And then "Thank you."

Mike is quiet. "How come you didn't call me?"

"What?"

Mike pedals faster. "You called Will. In _Maine_. Did you really think I wouldn't," Mike grimaced, "Come and get you out of there?"

Max's silence is scarring. "I didn't have your number. And we've never really clicked, you know? I didn't think you'd be thrilled to come pick up the girl who ruined your Party."

"Shit, Max. If you had told me... I know this doesn't excuse how I treated you, but if you had _told_ me... I would have gotten you out of there, alright?" Mike feels her grip tighten around him as they go down the hill towards his house.

"I know," she says softly. "Thank you. Again."

"You know, Madmax, we're friends. I care. And stuff like that."

And Mike called the cops on Neil the second they got home.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and leave kudos! Thank you!


End file.
